Cong has given ABCD of graft: Modi

Never the one to miss an opportunity to disparage the Congress, Narendra Modi on Tuesday took up the cause of hapless Delhi-Jaipur commuters saying the National Highway 8 wasn’t even worthy of being called a road. He was speaking at Rajasthan BJP chief Vasundhara Raje’s rally on Tuesday.

| TNN | Sep 11, 2013, 01.15 AM IST

"The Centre recently submitted an affidavit and accepted that of the roads built in the past 30 years, half of... Read More

JAIPUR: Never the one to miss an opportunity to disparage the Congress, Narendra Modi on Tuesday took up the cause of hapless Delhi-Jaipur commuters saying the National Highway 8 wasn't even worthy of being called a road. He was speaking at Rajasthan BJP chief Vasundhara Raje's rally on Tuesday.

"Instead of taking up Atal Bihari Vajpayee's work (of increasing infrastructure), the Congress is ensuring that no one can even walk on those roads. Delhi-Jaipur drive used to be a four-and-a-half hour journey. Now it takes seven hours. I am told even (Rajasthan governor) Margaret Alva has rated it saying it's not possible to walk on it anymore."

Modi's remark on NH-8 comes at a time when construction work, diversions, potholes and dust kicked up by vehicles have turned the once smooth ride into a nightmare. Recently, after much public outcry, Alva wrote to Union transport minister Oscar Fernandes, describing its abysmal condition and inviting him for a weekend to Jaipur to see things for himself.

"The Centre recently submitted an affidavit and accepted that of the roads built in the past 30 years, half of these were made during the NDA time," Modi said.

TOI has been campaigning for redeeming the highway, but its work is mired in red-tape causing delays in turning the four-lane highway into six-lane.

Using his oratorical skills, Modi said change is coming. "The change in the wind direction is a signal to the changing times in the state,'' said Modi to the cheering crowd. Referring to the "poisoned chalice" remarks of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot, he asked, "What is it in the land of Jaipur that reminds Congress leaders of poison?''

While Gehlot recently said he had been consuming poison referring perhaps to disaffection within state unit, Rahul had said earlier this year that he was warned by his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi that "power is poison".

"I was taught as a child that poison is antidote to poison. The reason Congressmen are searching for poison is because it must be required to digest the poison of corruption,'' said Modi. Congress is the ABCD of corruption, he said, where 'A' is for Adarsh scam, 'B' for Bofors and Bhanwari Devi, 'C' is for CWG and Coalgate while 'D' is for Defence and 'damaad ka karobar', he explained.

Such was the frenzied response to Modi's words that the Gujarat CM had to ask the crowds to be careful about their safety. "Those standing on the walls must take care, I fear you might get hurt. Please sit down, I'll speak only when people are safely seated," said Modi.

"I've never seen such a huge gathering. The largest crowd I'd seen was in 1999 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee spoke at Amroodon ka Bagh in 1999. But even that was just one-fourth of today's crowd," said Ratan Singh, a Jaipur resident.

"I am fortunate to witness this large crowd,'' Ratan Singh said, as the people chanted Modi's name which grew louder with every minute. After the speech of state BJP chief Vasundhara Raje, Modi himself rose and requested the crowds to be seated and stop the chanting.

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